A novel method for quantifying human disturbances: A case study of Huaihe River Basin, China

Haoran Wang; Mengdi Zhang; Chuanying Wang; Kaiyue Wang; Yunkai Zhou; Wei Sun

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.1120576

A novel method for quantifying human disturbances: A case study of Huaihe River Basin, China

Front Public Health. 2023 Jan 9:10:1120576. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2022.1120576. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Haoran Wang^{1

2

3}, Mengdi Zhang^{1

2

3}, Chuanying Wang^{1

2

3}, Kaiyue Wang^{1

2

3}, Yunkai Zhou^{1

2

3}, Wei Sun⁴

Affiliations

¹ College of Geography and Environmental Science, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
² Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Henan University, Ministry of Education, Kaifeng, China.
³ Henan Key Laboratory of Earth System Observation and Modeling, Henan University, Kaifeng, China.
⁴ Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.

Abstract

Human disturbances have become the main factors affecting the ecological environment. Therefore, evaluating the intensity of human disturbances is of great significance for ensuring effective regional conservation and ecosystem management. In this study, we constructed a novel method to quantify human disturbances based on three components of human disturbances into three types, namely naturalness transformation, natural resource consumption, and pollutant emissions. These components were quantified using the land use naturalness index (LNI), resource consumption index (RCI), and pollution emission index (PEI). Based on these three indicators, the human disturbances index (HDI) was calculated to reflect the intensity of human disturbances. In addition, remote sensing (RS), geographic information system (GIS), and multisource data were combined in the HDI method, taking into account the temporal variability of input parameters to achieve more convenient and comprehensive dynamic monitoring and evaluation of human disturbances. The applicability and effectiveness of the HDI method were assessed in the Huaihe River Basin, China. The obtained results revealed an increase and decrease in the intensities of human disturbances in the Huaihe River Basin from 1990 to 2005 and from 2010 to 2018, respectively. In addition, areas with a high level of human disturbances in the 1990-2005 period were mainly concentrated in the agricultural and industrial areas, while those in the 2010-2018 period were mainly observed in urban areas. This change was mainly due to a decrease in the pollutant emission amounts from agricultural and industrial lands and a marked increase in resource consumption in urban areas. This study provides theoretical guidance for regional conservation in the Huaihe River Basin and a new method for quantifying human disturbances.

Keywords: HDI; Huaihe River Basin; human disturbances; land use naturalness; pollutant emissions; resource consumption; spatiotemporal change.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

China
Conservation of Natural Resources
Ecosystem*
Environmental Monitoring / methods
Humans
Rivers*

Grants and funding

This work was sponsored by the Natural Science Foundation of Henan (grant numbers 212300410335 and 222300420418).